Device names and device control parameters are registered in a content table of a terminal. These device names and control parameters are each associated in the content table with partial images forming a total image. A user causes an arbitrary partial image to be displayed on a display screen of the terminal by moving the position of the total image relative to the display screen. After reading the device name and the control parameters corresponding to the arbitrary partial image from the content table, the terminal remotely controls the targeted terminal based on the information read. Therefore, the targeted device and the control description thereof can be selected using a simple operation, such as moving the position of the image to be displayed on the display screen. The addition or replacement of targeted devices can be easily accommodated by updating the content table.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A terminal, comprising: a remote-operation region operable to remotely control a plurality of devices; a display unit having a display screen for displaying a part of a total image that includes a two-dimensional array of regions; means for sorting a plurality of content portions into a plurality of groups such that a given part of the plurality of content portions is contained in a specific one of the plurality of groups, the plurality of devices being associated with the plurality of content portions such that a given one of the plurality of devices is associated with a particular one of the plurality of content portions, the plurality of groups being a plurality of rooms of a building in which the plurality of devices is located, a plurality of device functions, or a plurality of frequencies of use; means for generating a particular total image associated with a given one of the plurality of groups, the total image including a plurality of partial images associated with the content portions belonging to that group such that a given one of the part of the plurality of content portions is associated with a specific one of the plurality of partial images, the plurality of partial images being distributed among the two-dimensional array of regions such that a given one of the plurality of partial images is located at a particular region in the two-dimensional array of regions; means for generating and storing a plurality of content tables associated with the plurality of groups such that a given one of the plurality of content tables includes the part of the plurality of content portions contained in a particular one of the plurality of groups, a given one of the part of the plurality of content portions including a device name of the associated device, control information for controlling that device, a storage location of the specific one of the plurality of partial images that is associated with that device, and an identifier of the region in the total image at which that partial image is located; scroll means for moving a position of the total image relative to said display screen so that the part of the total image shown on said display screen includes at least a portion of one of the plurality of partial images; and means for obtaining, from said content table, the content portion associated with the partial image having the portion shown on said display screen and for causing said remote-control unit to remotely control the device that is associated with that content portion.
2. A terminal according to claim 1 , wherein said scroll means comprises detecting means for detecting movement of said terminal whereby the position of the total image relative to said display screen is moved based on the movement of said terminal.
3. A terminal according to claim 1 , further comprising table update means for obtaining an updated content portion from a source and for registering the updated content portion in a particular one of the plurality of content tables.
4. A terminal according to claim 3 , wherein said table update means obtains the updated content portion from a server apparatus over an online link to said terminal.
5. A terminal according to claim 1 , further comprising means for performing accounting processing based on account information contained in that content portion.
6. A method of remotely-controlling a plurality of devices using a terminal having a display screen, said method comprising: displaying a part of a total image on the display screen, the total image including a two-dimensional array of regions; sorting a plurality of content portions into a plurality of groups such that a given part of the plurality of content portions is contained in a specific one of the plurality of groups, the plurality of devices being associated with the plurality of content portions such that a given one of the plurality of devices is associated with a particular one of the plurality of content portions, the plurality of groups being a plurality of rooms of a building in which the plurality of devices is located, a plurality of device functions, or a plurality of frequencies of use; generating a particular total image associated with a given one of the plurality of groups, the total image including a plurality of partial images associated with the content portions belonging to that group such that a given one of the part of the plurality of content portions is associated with a specific one of the plurality of partial images, the plurality of partial images being distributed among the two-dimensional array of regions such that a given one of the plurality of partial images is located at a particular region in the two-dimensional array of regions; generating and storing a plurality of content tables associated with the plurality of groups such that a given one of the plurality of content tables includes the part of the plurality of content portions contained in a particular one of the plurality of groups, a given one of the part of the plurality of content portions including a device name of the associated device, control information for controlling that device, a storage location of the specific one of the plurality of partial images that is associated with that device, and an identifier of the region in the total image at which that partial image is located; moving a position of the total image relative to the display screen so that the part of the total image shown on said display screen includes at least a portion of one of the plurality of partial images; reading, from the content table, the content portion associated with the partial image having the portion displayed on the display screen; and remotely controlling the device that is associated with that content portion.
7. A method according to claim 6 , further comprising: performing accounting processing based on account information included in the content portion associated with the partial image displayed on the display screen.
8. A method according to claim 6 , wherein said moving step includes moving the terminal, the position of the total image relative to the display screen being moved based on the movement of the terminal.
9. A method according to claim 6 , further comprising: obtaining an updated content portion from a source, and registering the updated content portion in a particular one of the plurality of content tables.
10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the updated content portion is obtained from a server apparatus over an online link to the terminal.
11. A terminal according to claim 3 , wherein when the updated content portion includes a content ID and a device name that match the content ID and device name of a particular one of the plurality of stored content portions, said table update means replaces that stored content portion with the updated content portion.
12. A terminal according to claim 3 , wherein when the updated content portion includes a content ID and a device name that do not match the content ID and device name of any one of the plurality of stored content portions, said table update means stores the updated content portion in a new region of the particular one of the plurality of content tables.
13. A method according to claim 9 , wherein when the updated content portion includes a content ID and a device name that match the content ID and device name of a particular one of the plurality of stored content portions, said registering step includes replacing that stored content portion with the updated content portion.
14. A method according to claim 9 , wherein when the updated content portion includes a content ID and a device name that do not match the content ID and device name of any one of the plurality of stored content portions, said registering step includes storing the updated content portion in a new region of the particular one of the plurality of content tables.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
April 11, 2003
December 26, 2006
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